The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-11

gusted. While others in the store may
lounge, or fret, or complain, you go VIII
ready hands, and cheerful face, and contente0
spirit to your work. When the bugle sounds
the good soldier asks no questions, but Shoul
ders his knapsack, fills his canteen and listens
for the command OF MARCH! DO not gel
the idea that your interests and those OF your
employer are antagonistic. His success will
be YOUR honor. His embarrassment will 6s
your diSmay. Expose none of the fralltles
of the firm. Tell no store secrets. DO not
blab Rebuff those persons who come co
find out from clerks what ought never be
known outside the store Do not be among
those young men who take on mysterious
air when something is said against the hrm
that employs them, as much as TO say; l
could tell you some things if would, but l
won't" Do not be among those who imagine
they can build themselves up by pulling
somebody else down. Be not ashamed to be
a subaltern.
Again 1 counsel clerks in this house to
search out what are the unlawful and dls,
honest demands of an establishment, ana
resist them. In the six thousand years that
have passed, there has never been an occasion
when it was ones duty to sin against God;
It is never right to do wrong II the head
men of the firm expect OF you diSnonestE; sI
lose my place them" Better lose your place
than lose your soul. But you will
not lose your place Christian heroism
is always honored. You 60 to the
head man of your store, and say: 'Sir,
want to serve YOU; want to oblige you; it
Is from no lack Of industry on my part, but
this thing seems to me to be wrong, and it is
a sin against my conscience, it Is sin against
God, and beg you, sir, to excuse me-: he
may flush up and swear, but ne Will cool
down, and he will have more admiration
for you than for those who sub;
while they sink, you will rise. Do
not, because Of seeming temporary advan-
tage, give up your character, young man.
Under God, that is the only thing You have
to build on Give up that, you give up
everything. That employer asks q young
man to hurt himself for time and for eternity,
who expects him to make wrong entry, or
change an invoice, or say goods cost SO much
when they cost less; or impose upon the
style of fabric How dare he demand Of you
anything so insolent?
There is one style Of temptation that comes
on a great many Of our clerks, and that is
upon those who are engaged in what Is called
Drumming Now. that occupation is just
as honorable as any other, if it be con-
Quoted in accord with ones conscience. In
this day, when there are so many riyalrles III
business, all our commercial establishments
ought so have men abroad who are seeking
outopportunities of merchandise. There can be
no objection to that. But there are professed
Christian merchants in the week-nlght
prayer-meeting who have clerks abroad in
New York, conducting merchants OF Clncln-
natl, and Chicago, and st. Louis, through
the debaucheries Of the great town, in order
to secure their custom for the store. There
are in stores in New York and Brooklyn,
drawers in which there are kept moneys
which the clerks are to go to and get what
ever they want to conduct these
people through the designations of the
city. The head men of the firm wink at it,
and in some places actually demand it-pro-
fesSed Christian merchants. One would think
and they would fall back dead at the sound of
their own song. What chance is there for
young men when commercial establish
ments expect such things Of them! Among
all things Internal I pronounce that
the most damnable Young man, how
will that firm treat you when YOU
are utterly despoiled, and dragged out with
sin, going through the naunts of iniquity for
the purpose of getting customers for their
sSfs How T 6sy tTss Tsy xfn xy build ii tS
carriage! Will theyl No. Some day you
will 60 to the store, shabby, intoxicated, worn
out in their service and they will say: John,
YOU are a disgrace to our house. Now,
Just look at yourself. Accountant, how
much do we owe this manr' "a dollar and
thirty cents" "Well, now, here-here it is;
dollar and thirty cents. Go off. Don't
hang around the store. |" Magnanimity superb!
They stole the lustre from his eye, and the
color from his cheek, and the honor from his
soul, and then they kicked him out. If such
professed Christian merchants do. not go
straight to hell, don't know any use Of hav-
ing such place. Oh, young men, disappoint
the expectation Of that firm; disappoint those
customers, if these things are expected of you.
You may sell an extra case Of goods; you may
sell an extra roll of silk; but the trouble is,
you may have to throw your soul to boot in
the bargain.
Again: counsel all clerks to conquer the
trials of their particular position. One great
trial for clerks is the in consideration Of custom
ers. There are people who are entirely po-
rial and contemplate when they come
into a store to buy anything. There
are thousands of men and women who 60
from store to store and price things, without
any idea of purchase They are not satisfied
until every roll of goods is brought down and
they have pointed out all the real or imagin-
ary defects. They try on all kinds of kid
gloves, and stretch them out of shape, and
they put on all styles of cloak and walk to the
mirror to see how it would look, and then
they sail out of the store, saying: Il will
81 don't want it at ALL" leaving the clerk
amid a wreck of ribbons, and laccs, and
cloths, to smooth out five hundred dollars
worth Of goods-not one cent of which did
that man or woman buy or expect to buy.
Now call that a dishonesty on the part Of
the customer. II Doy runs into store and
takes roll of cloth off the counter and sneakS
out into the street, you all join in the
cry pell-mell: ''Stop thiefm When l
see you 20 into store, not expecting to buy
anything, but to price things; stealing the
employer, say, too: "Stop thiefm If l were
asked which class of persons most need the
grace of God amid their annoyances, would
say: s'Dry goods clerks" All the indignation
of customers about the high prices comes on
the clerk. For instance. A great war comes.
The manufactures are closed. The people
go OFF to battle. The price Of goods runs
up. A customer comes into store. Goods
have gone up How much is that worths' =
dollarw Why, who is to blame for the fact
that it has got to be dollar' Does the in
dignation 60 out to the manufacturers on the
banks Of the Merrimac, because they have
closed up? No. Does the Indignation 60 out
toward the employer, who is out at his coun-
try seat? No. 1t comes on the clerk He
got up the war! He levied the taxes! He
putup the rents! Of course the clerk!
Then a great trial comes to clerks in the
fact that they see the parsimonious side of hu
man nature. You talk about lies behind the
,.t lIlSh
the counter. Augustine speaks of man who
advertised that he would, on Ger
tain occasion, tell the people what
was in their hearts. A great crowd as
sembled, and he stepped to the front anc
said: II will tell you what is in your hearts
To buy cheap AMI sell dear" o, people O
Brooklyn lay not aside your urbanity whel